Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithography method, a determination method, an information processing apparatus, a storage medium, and a method of manufacturing an article.
Description of the Related Art
International Publication No. 99/36949 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-212471 propose techniques regarding the overlay accuracy (Mix & Match) between different lithography apparatuses. International Publication No. 99/36949 discloses an exposure method of improving the overlay accuracy in accordance with the type of exposure apparatus, that is, a scanner or stepper by considering the characteristics (ease of correction of imaging characteristics) of the apparatus. In this exposure method, when forming, on a substrate, a plurality of layers (patterns) to be overlaid on each other using a plurality of exposure apparatuses, the imaging characteristics of an exposure apparatus for forming an arbitrary layer, among the plurality of exposure apparatuses, are adjusted in consideration of the image distortion correction characteristic of an exposure apparatus for forming another layer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-212471 discloses a method of reducing a distortion between shot regions by using, for an underlayer pattern, an imprint apparatus for which it is difficult to control the shape of a shot region, and using an exposure apparatus for a pattern to be overlaid on the underlayer pattern.
In recent years, as for semiconductor devices, various techniques for increasing the capacity of a memory and decreasing the size of a memory have been developed by not only two-dimensional miniaturization but also a three-dimensional multilayered structure. Along with the progress of the techniques, the types of lithography apparatuses used to manufacture semiconductor devices have diversified. Furthermore, since the three-dimensional multilayered structure of the semiconductor device increases the number of layers, there is a tendency to require high overlay accuracy with the underlayer pattern in each layer. For example, the overlay accuracy with the stepper or scanner, the overlay accuracy between an exposure apparatus with a normal angle of view (small angle of view) and an exposure apparatus with a large angle of view, the overlay accuracy between an imprint apparatus and an exposure apparatus, and the like are required to be high.
Especially between an exposure apparatus with a normal angle of view and an imprint apparatus with a large angle of view, the tendency of a shot region (exposure region) of a normal angle of view included in a shot region (imprint region) of a large angle of view against which a mold is pressed is generally different for each large angle of view. For example, combinations each including scanning directions and shot regions of normal angle of view included in a shot region of a large angle of view vary with a high probability. Therefore, it is difficult to control matching of shot regions between these apparatuses, thereby causing a definite overlay error.